John Collins lived last season with his bags packed. Before starting the course, he was placed as transfer meat, a condition that did not change over the weeks and months until the transfer deadline was exceeded. The point is that there was no calm either; Rather, the countdown began for his contract to expire and he could sign with another team … In the end, because the player and Hawks wanted it that way, they are still together.
It’s been almost two months since Collins bonded his long-term future with the Georgia franchise at the rate of five years and $ 125 million. It’s a great deal, one that meets your expectations and in turn gives you stability. Collins is clear that it also comes with greater responsibility, but he is ready to take on the challenge of finishing the work started in 2017.
I don’t have to think about the possibility of being traded. I don’t have to think about losing what I built here, nor do I have to make a move … I know I’m going to be here and I can continue building. I’m happy to be able to finish, or try to finish, what I started, ”says Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Although he has not been on the roster for five years, Collins is the most veteran in the roster that Nate McMillan drives. The Hawks have built their current team in the last two / three years, so it is certainly a team that still has a lot of room for growth. Last season they were able to reach the Eastern Conference finals against all odds. Looking ahead to 2021-22, they have the challenge of preventing such an achievement from becoming an anecdote.
(Photograph by Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)